One hundred and sixty years ago, the Great Hunger (Irish Famine) that claimed as many as three million lives was at its most devastating and forced two million immigrants to flee to U.S. shores.

In 1846, thousands of immigrant Irish joined th U.S. Army and were sent with General Zachary Taylor's army to invade Mexico. President James K. Polk, incensed that Mexico refused to sell California and most of the present Southwest to the U.S.A., sent Taylor down to provoke the Mexicans. War was declared against Mexico in the spring of 1846.

Dubious about why they were fighting a Catholic country and fed up with the bigotry and mistreatment by their Anglo-Protestant officers, hundreds of Irish immigrant soldiers, in true American fashion, stood for what they believed in to aid the oppressed and joined in the defense of Mexico. Led by Capt. John Joseph O'Reilly of Clifden County Galway, they became known as the St. Patrick's Battalion, "the San Patricios" ,and their leader became known as Juan or José O'Reilly. The San Patricios, in the words of one Mexican general, "deserved the highest praise, because they fought with daring bravery." But eventually, Mexico surrendered, ceding almost half of its territory to the United States.

After the battle of Churubusco, near the end of the war, 85 San Patricio soldiers were captured and 72 were tried by a court martial. 50 were hanged and another 16 were flogged. To this day, Mexican people honor them as heroes every September 12 with a special ceremony. Beginning in 1993, the Irish began their own annual ceremony in Clifden County Galway, José O'Reilly's hometown.

Some historians, relying on court martial testimony gleaned from Anglo-Amererican records, have portrayed the San Patricios as confused and bewildered young men who drank heavily and later regretted their choices.

"The truth", says Professor Kirby Miller of the University of Missouri, an expert on Irish immigration, "is the San Patricios were alienated both from American society and the U.S. Army due to the predominantly Bristish hierarchy. They realized that the Army was not fighting a war of liberty but one of conquest against fellow Catholics such as themselves." O'Reilly was hardly an unfocused rebel. As an Irishman and Catholic, he was undoubtedly appalled at the crimes inflicted on the Mexican populace by the Texas Rangers and other volunteers who General Taylor admittedly could not control. These offenses included all manner of heinous, unspeakable acts.

While imprisoned in Mexico, O'Reilly wrote to a friend in Michigan: "Be not deceived by the prejudice of a nation that is at war with Mexico, for a friendlier and more hospitable people than the Mexicans you will not find on the face of the earth." O'Reilly's outlook could serve as a role model for us today, when foreigners in our midst in the U.S., specifically Mexicans and Central Americans, are regarded with unfounded suspicion for their distinct language and cultural morals. The parallels between the Irish immigrants of the 1840s and today's newcomers should be obvious. Historically, both have struggled against oppressors who attempted to destroy their cultures and religion. Both groups have faced extreme danger in reaching our shores, whether on precarious "coffin ships" or through desert wastes. And thankfully, for the most part, both are regarded as no economic or cultural threat to the character of America.

Fortunately, the actions of the San Patricios and many others like them in U.S. history have helped to shape today's hospitable culture and will continue the great American tradition of standing up for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

To that end, the staff and management of Jose O'Reilly's would like to extend to you a hearty…

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